Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2010/08/30
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]If this shot were of my sister, daughter or close friend I'd not have any concern. Because nothing offensive (to me or the subject) appears in the photograph; and no one but her and her closest friends would recognize the shoes and ankle bracelet. Granted it may well have been a finer photograph with a wider lens; which may have given us the environment, context and even a face or two. While I quite agree that engagement with, and knowledge, of our subjects will generally deliver the most interesting photographs; it is not necessarily so for the best so-called street photography. If knowing names were a prerequisite for fine street photographs 99.9999% of so-called "street photography" including HCB's would get thrown out no matter the focal length of the lens. The vast majority of "street photographers" snatch glimpses and move on to another subject rather quickly, without taking names, or setting up coffee or lunch dates. They're simply showing us our fellow inhabitants around the world; hopefully with a "good eye" for humor, irony, documentation, composition, etc. The idea that we need long lenses to fully, photographically, appreciate wild life; but if we use them when studying human beings, we're all of a sudden being surreptitious, (unless they're engage in sports, entertainment or politics) seems disingenuous. If you're photographing strangers in public, you're more than likely capturing them unaware. Whether you're doing it with an 18, 21, 28, 35, 50, 90, 135, 180, 250, 400, or 560 makes little difference. If they happen to catch you doing it - they may feel flattered, self conscious, offended, or any number of other human feelings. If we're talking about "serious" photography the aesthetic quality of the photograph is all that matters. If we're talking about collecting smut at the expense of various strangers; well shame on us. Regards, George Lottermoser george at imagist.com http://www.imagist.com http://www.imagist.com/blog http://www.linkedin.com/in/imagist On Aug 30, 2010, at 11:10 AM, Mark Rabiner wrote: > If this shot were of a sister or daughter or wife or close friend > would we > all be as blas? about it? I think not. > > The shot sounds worse then it is. > But its not well thought out or executed. And it's ill conceived. > It's muddy and at a poor angle. > Ralph Gibson could have pulled it off. And we'd know what the > women's name > was.